Wichita eagle., 1887-06-07
THE RULES OF STYLE.
THE PRINCIPLES WHICH GOVERN
WRITING AND PRINTING.

tors to Consider-Grammar and Rheto
ric-Be Fully Alive to the Events of tn,
Day.
We publish herewith letter which reached
our hands the other day from the other sids
OF the American continent. Though appar
emily not intended for the public eye, we as
sure the writer will allow us to answer hi:
questions in this public manner
| EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT,
THE PORTLAND DAILY NEWS,
| PORTLAND, Ore, Feb. 16, 1887.
'sDEAR SIR-You will confer great favor
on the advancing civilization of the "wild and
woolly west" by forwarding to me, if conve-
nient, a copy Of the rules Of style in force in
| The Suns composing rooms The News de-
| slres to be abreast Of its eastern contempo-
raries in style, as it is otherwise and you can
see my object. The Sun style is the best in
| the United States; in fact, The Sun is per-
feet model Of typographical excellence, and
1t is the intention to make The News as near
as possible full fledged, life sized photo
graph Of the luminous eastern champion of
Democracy. Yours respectfully,
~. G. EGAN,
"City Editor Daily News"
THE FIRST POINT.
We should take great pleasure in doing all
that Mr.. Egan desires; but unfortunately there
is no such code as he wishes us to send for
ward. The principles which govern the style
OF writing and printing in The Sun are, like
the common law, preserved by authentic ira
dition, but nowhere Mclosed in the iron
formulas of unvarying prescription
In our view of the subject, the first point
In good style of writing is to have in the
mind clear and distinct idea and then to
put it into language which presents it accu
rately, wildly and picturesquely, so that the
reader may apprehend it exactly as the writer
intends. The great rule Of all is accuracy.
State the fact or the proposition precisely as
it is or precisely as it should be, and never
say twenty-three or seventeen and a half
when you mean twenty.
Shun snobbishness "a mans man for a.
that" is the soundest doctrine, but he is never
more than man; aud no thinker or writer
has any call to be afraid of him, Of his clothes,
OF bis title, or of his money. Be an Ameri-
can always. a Democrat, Republican. No
literary style Is good for an American journal
lst without this moral foundation
Never discuss more than one proposition at
q time; and never attempt to enforce more
than one idea at time. Intellectual con-
fusion, helpless complication of thought, is
the bane of good writing.
GRAMMAR AND RHETORIC
Know the truths and the maxims of Eng
lish grammar and of English rhetoric.
Know the language that you are dealing in.
There is one effective way to gain skill in
these things and that is to read the great
masters, and, if possible, to practice writing
under criticism that is intelligent and merci-
less, as well as sympathetic and vigilant
Who are these great masters, do you ask?
There are many of them. John Bunyan
is one, Sir William Blackstone another.
Jonathan Edwards another. Lord Chesterfield |
another, DR.. Charming another, Cardinal |
Newman another, Arthur Helps another,
Matthew Arnold another, Nathaniel Haw-
horne another, Thomas Jefferson another.
We might make list of these masters of
'tyle that would fill column.
Finally, be alive to the events of the day if |
7ou wish to possess good style as news
'aper writer. Understand the value of news.
What IS news but the living record of provi.
lence, the daily tablet which God indites for
he instruction of man? Even the trivial in
ident OF the hour has its place in the mighty
HAPPIER OF human destiny. Treat it as you
nay, then, gravely, satirically, or loosely,
1T there be ever in your heart a profound
everence for the momentous power from
7hose operation it proceeds.
These are some principles of style which
ccur to us as we read Mr.. Egan's letter. We
ancy they form pretty good code of rules,
ut we put them forth without dogmatism.
Iothing would give us more pleasure than to
ave the opportunity of studying better
ne and profiting by its inculcations.
.ork Sun.